I viewed a house today...

nadaley

...and it has those pay as you go card meters which isn't what we want. If we went for the property and wished to change to billed leccy and gas do they change the meters for free or is it something we would need to factor into costs

macman

Some suppliers will, some won't. BG commonly do.
But you may still have put down a sizeable deposit initially if you want a credit meter.

spiro

Most now charge about £50-60 per meter. You will also need to pass a credit check and they may require you to go on a DD tariff. If you fail the credit check they may want a deposit which they keep for about 6-12 months before returning it, this is to cover if you default on the bill.
It will also depend if you use your existing supplier when you move to the new property.
The figures I have seen posted on here are about £300 per fuel.